There’s no longer any doubt: the production of Emilia Perez was chaotic from day one, but neither Selena Gomez nor Sofía Gascón (the film’s leading actress) seems ready to acknowledge it.
A Twitter thread recently compiled all the reasons this film ran into so many issues and criticisms from its inception. The production was plagued by questionable decisions regarding cultural representation and casting.
Understanding Why Latin People Hate Emilia Perez So Much
A Director Disconnected from the Culture
Emilia Perez French director Jacques Audiard admitted he wasn’t interested in delving deeper into Mexican culture, insisting he already had “enough knowledge.” Many viewed this comment as a clear display of disrespect and lack of effort toward the very story he was trying to tell.
Casting and Script Overhaul
Although the original plan was to cast Mexican actors, producers ultimately chose European and American performers of “Latin” heritage. According to them, this was due to an alleged shortage of Mexican talent—a claim that sparked widespread indignation. Moreover, the characters’ backstories were modified to justify the chosen actors’ accents.
Selena Gomez’s Spanish
Selena Gomez, who portrays Jessi in Emilia Perez—a character initially written as Mexican—faced criticism for her weak command of Spanish. Even though she’s been releasing music in Spanish since 2010, Gomez maintained she simply didn’t have enough time to prepare linguistically for the role.
Critiques from Eugenio Derbez and Adriana Paz
Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez pointed out that Gomez’s Spanish not only lacked a Mexican accent but also seemed disconnected from the language. After making these remarks, he was heavily criticized on social media by the singer’s fans, prompting him to apologize.
Meanwhile, Adriana Paz—Emilia Perez’s only Mexican actress—was relegated to a supporting role. This decision prevents her from competing in major award categories, another move that fueled controversy.
Trivializing Narcotraffic
The film has been accused of reducing Mexico’s narcotraffic issues to a simplistic gangster story, failing to delve into the country’s cultural reality. This reinforces the notion that the movie aims more to please an international audience than to authentically engage with local viewers.
A Superficial Portrayal
In the end, Emilia Perez stands as a shallow and inadequate depiction of Mexican culture, underscoring that the production’s intentions were far from respecting cultural authenticity or diversity. The result? A film steeped in controversy that few involved seem willing to fully own up to.
This article was originally written in Spanish by Alan Cruz in Cultura Colectiva.
